The release of New Line Cinema’s
Elf on home video 12 months after its theatrical debut recalls the release timetable that dominated home movie rentals in the 1980’s and part of the 1990’s. A surprisingly tame and violence-free holiday comedy from the director of
Swingers and the star of
A Night at the Roxbury,
Elf tells the story of Buddy (Will Ferrell). A human being raised by Santa Clauss’ elves when baby Buddy was abandoned in Santa’s sack, Buddy grows up and becomes bigger and stronger than any other elf working in Santa’s shop. Since elves are the only people he interacts with all the time Buddy grows up just as pure, child-like innocent and dumb as the other elves in the shop. One day the leader of the elves, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), decides to tell Buddy the truth about him not being an elf. So off to New York City Buddy goes to look for his real father, Walter (James Caan), and to try to survive the big nasty city with his niceties and holiday cheer.
If you haven’t seen Elf until now then I’d rent it to be safe. Christmas movies released during Christmas tend to mask a truckload of flaws that become visible in the glaring light of a sunny Spring afternoon. It’s a one-note joke of a premise that director Favreau and star Ferrell milk for all its schmaltzy worth, right down to a moralistic plot wrap-up that’s more likely to elicit gags than laughs. Will Ferrell works best when he either has a partner or someone to bounce his out-of-left-field weird antics off. From Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson in Old School to Mike Myers in the Austin Powers movies, someone has to be Will’s stooge for him to shine. In Elf Ferrell is flying solo, and about half of the inanities and stunts he uses to try to wrestle a laugh from viewers fall resoundingly flat. The build-up of the movie gets deflated halfway through the story when Buddy gets together with his father. Watching an elf try to run Dad’s business in suit and tie just isn’t the wacky next step to follow-up Buddy’s North Pole and New York adventures.
It’s a testament to the odd appeal of the Will Ferrell persona that this star vehicle was tailor-made for him. Caan, Newhart and the other actors can only stand aside and let the scenery be chewed by the master. I didn’t laugh much or enjoyed the movie’s predictable plot, and yet I cannot think of anyone other than Ferrell that could have pulled off Buddy’s mixture of innocence, banal insanity and walking disaster. Most people obviously disagree with me given the movie’s blockbuster performance a year ago (over $125 million). They’re lining up to watch Will Ferrell be Will Ferrell while dressed in an elf outfit. Other than Jim Carrey worrying about being replaced as the next big comic doing movies in Hollywood Elf is guaranteed to charm some and bore others. That’s the nature of the beast, a PG star vehicle guaranteed to offend no one and amuse those in the spirit of the season. Not me though! :-(
The Disc:
Rather than combine them in one disc New Line Cinema splits Elf’s Widescreen Anamorphic (1:85:1) and Full Screen (1:33:1) Video Transfers into each of the package’s two discs. Also split in two are the participants of the movie’s Two Commentary Tracks. Director Jon Favreau brings behind-the-scenes anecdotes and some filmmaking insight into his track. Ferrell (who is almost unbearable when he isn’t trying to be funny) pretty much dares the audience to sit through his boring recitation of what’s happening on screen and an odd insight once every few minutes. Why weren’t these two men paired for a two-man commentary track is beyond me. A Fact Track replaces subtitles and does what its name suggests. Eight Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary by Favreau) are also included, one of which (a hilarious hockey fight in the North Pole between Buddy and Santa’s elves) should have been included in the theatrical release.
There is so much stuff packed in this two-disc Elf DVD that it’d take me a lifetime to describe everything. Even the DVD-ROM Content (the popular script-to-screen comparison) is bustling with activity this time around. It’s just that, unlike Dreamworks’ Shrek 2, New Line hasn’t forgotten the film buff’s needs when incorporating children-friendly content into the Infinifilm label. Five ‘All Access Pass’ Featurettes (whose combined length exceeds the hour-long mark) avoid the self-promotional drivel that characterizes most DVD featurettes, taking viewers behind-the-scenes and introducing to them many of the people involved in the movie. Ferrell himself appears throughout these featurettes, joking with everyone in the crew and setting the spirit of the project. Then there are Four Featurettes (‘Christmas in Tinseltown,’ ‘Deck the Halls,’ ‘Kids on Christmas’ and ‘Santa Mania’) geared to and starring little kids. There’s also a Music from Elf featurette, Special Announcements (AKA promos for Warner and New Line projects) and Infinifilms’ knack for colorful, well-designed menu/option screen interfaces. If you liked this movie more than I did then these extras should do the trick and leave you plenty satisfied.
bottom line:
I love Will Ferrell in supporting roles on other people’s movies (Old School, Austin Powers, etc.). As a leading man he’s a tough pill to swallow, particularly in a PG holiday movie as harmless, lightweight and cookie-cutter routine as this one. New Line’s Infinifilm label gives Elf’s trip to DVD all the bells & whistles anyone that liked what they saw in theaters a year ago could possibly want, and then some. Passable entertainment for an undemanding audience in the mood for a vehicle tailor-made for Ferrell’s considerable comedic talents.
By - J.M. Vargas
1/2
